Safety device for mine-cages.



No. 889,408. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

' 0. SHEWAN.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR MINE GAGES.

APPLICATION rnnnnov. 22, 1907.

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PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

0. SHEWAN. SAFETY DEVICE FOR MINE GAGES.

APPIJIOATION TILED N0\ 22, 1907.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

[NVENTOR Iijtiomey W1 TNESSES CHARLES SHEWAN, OF PLYMOUTH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR MINE-CAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1908.

Application filed November 22, 1907. Serial No. 403,357.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHARLEs SHEWAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plymo'uth, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Mine-Cages and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to safety devices for supporting a mine cage when detached from the lifting-rope and for preventing overwinding; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed. I

In the draWings,-Figure 1 is a front view of the cage, showing the safety devices under normal conditions. Fig. 2 is a front view of avportion of the apparatus, showing the lifting-rope disconnected from the cage. Fig. 3 is a front view of a portion of the devices, showing the action of releasing the liftingrope. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the cage, taken on the line 9cx in Fig. 1.

A is a mine cage of any approved construction, provided with a crosspiece B at its upper part.

shaft, and c are shoes on the sides of the cage which slide upon the said guides.

D is a main frame secured to the top of the crosspiece B, and d is a slidable auxiliary frame which moves vertically in the said main frame.

E are two jaws for engaging a bulb or block F on the end of the lifting-rope f. These jaws are pivoted together and to the auxiliary frame d by means of a pin 6, and they are provided with lugs e which project out wardly from their upper ends.

G is a stem secured to the bottom of the auxiliary frame d, and which slides in a hole in the crosspiece B. A spring g is connected to the lower end portion of the stem G so as to pull the auxiliary frame (1 downward in the main frame D, and g is a protecting casing for the said spring to work in.

II are two parallel tappet-rods which are slidable vertically in guide holes in the said main and auxiliary frames and in the said crosspiece. Stopsh are secured on the rods H inside the auxiliary frame d, and h are springs interposed between the said stops and the bottom member of the said auxiliary guldes.

vented from falling.

frame, and normally holding the said stops in engagement with the lugs e of the jaws E so that the bulb or block F is clamped tightly by the said jaws.

I are two levers pivoted on fulcrum-pins '1', carried by brackets t which are secured to the crosspiece B. These levers are provided with slots for engaging with the fulcrum-pins i, so that the said levers may have a slight longitudinal movement when turned on their fulcrum-pins. The levers I are pivoted at their inner ends to the lower ends of the rods H by means of pins j, and J are connectingrods pivoted to the outer ends of the said levers by means of pins 7' K are slidable serrated jaws arranged in pairs, and having the lower ends of the connecting-rods J connected to them by pins k. The serrated jaws K are provided with inclined slots is which are slidable upon guides L secured to the side portions of the mine cage. The serrated -j aws are arranged upon opposite sides of the vertical cage guides C, and when the cage is being raised by the lifting-rope the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 1, the jaws being held clear of the ported in any convenient way.

When the lifting-rope breaks, the spring 9 pulls down the auxiliary frame and forces the serrated jaws into engagement with the cage guides, so that the parts assume the positions shown in Fig. 2, and the cage is pre- When the rods H strike the stationary tappet at the top ofthe 'mine shaft, the said rods are forced downward relatively to the cage against the tension of the springs 72/, and the stops h are moved out of engagement with the lugs e of the rope-clamping jaws E, as shown in Fig. 3. This permits the bulb or block F of the lifting-rope to be drawn out of engagement with the'clamping jaws E, and serrated jaws then engage with the cage guides and support the cage as hereinbefore described.

What I claim is:

1. The combination, with a mine cage, and its guides; of a vertically slidable frame carried by the said cage, a lifting-rope, a pair of jaws pivoted at their lower ends to the said frame, slidable stops carried by the said 'frame and normally holding the upper end A stationary tappet or tappets t is arranged at the top of the mine shaft in the path of the rods H, and these tappets are sup- 0 are vertical guides at the sides of the ism for engaging with the said cage guides operatively connected with the said stops, and means for sliding the said frame and aplying the said clutch mechanism automatlcally when the cage is detached from the lifting-rope.

2. The combination, with a mine cage, and its guides; of a vertically slidable frame carried by the said cage,- a lifting rope, a spring for depressing the said frame when the cage is detached from its lifting-rope, a pair of jaws ivoted to the said frame, springpresse stops for normally holding the said aws in engagement with the lifting-rope, and safety-clutch mechanism for engaging the said cage-guides operatively connected with the said frame. I j I V 3. The combination, with a mine cage, and its guides; of a verticall slidable frame carried by the said cage, a ifting-rope, a spring fordepressing the said frame when the cage is detached from its lifting-rope, clampingjaws carried by the said frame, springpressed tappet-rods slidable in the said frame and provided with stops which normally hold the said jaws in engagement with the lifting rope, safety-clutch mechanism for engaging the said cage-guides connected to the said tappet-rods, and a stationary tappet arranged in the path of the said tappetrods.

4. The combination, with a mine cage, and its guides; ofa main frame secured to the said cage,- a lifting-rope a slidable frame movable vertically in the said main frame, a spring for depressing the said slidable frame in the said main frame, clamping-jaws for the lifting-rope pivoted to the said slidable frame, s ring-pressed tappet-rods slidable in the sai frames and provided with stops which normally hold the said jaws in engagement with the lifting-rope, safety-clutch mechanism for engaging the said cage-guides connected to the said tappet-rods, and a statioiary tappet for actuating the said tappetro s.

5. The combination, with a mine cage provided with a crosspiece, and guides for the said cage; of a main frame secured above the said crosspiece, an auxiliary fraine slidable in the said main frame and provided with a stem which projects below the said crosspiece, a spring for depressing the said auxiliary frame connected to the said stem and arranged below the said crossp'iece, a liftingrope, jaws for coupling the said auxiliary frame to the lifting-rope, spring-pressed tappet-rods slidable in the said frames and provided with stops which normally hold the said jaws in engagement with the liftingrope, safety-clutch mechanism for engaging the said cage-guides connected to the said tappet rods, and a stationary tappet arranged in the path of the said tappet-rods.

In testimony whereof I have afliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SHEWAN.

Witnesses RALPH COOPER, HARRY SORBER. 

